Impact Trust • Working glossary
Weak signals
Early, faint signs of emerging changes that are easy to miss but could become significant.
Details
Our Take
Useful and fairly intuitive; works well in humanitarian contexts where frontline workers often spot things before HQ does. The value is in legitimising what frontline workers already do: noticing things that do not yet have a name or a category. The bilateral programme's signal infrastructure work is partly about creating channels for weak signals to travel from community level to decision-makers.
Examples of Use
Futures studies, strategic foresight, intelligence
Synonyms/Variants
Early wraning signals, Emerging indicators, Canary in the coal mine
Typical everyday wording
Early signs that could become important. Green shoots. Rumblings
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